The worth of your blog???

Taken from another e-mail list

How much is your blog worth?

Mine's worth zip. How will I ever live with the shame? :-)

I Admit It....

I'm addicted to technology--ok, I'm a Mac Addict.

--I want a new Power Mac G5 Quad with flat panel monitor
--I want a new Video iPod
--And it won't be long before I need a new Powerbook G4.

Help! Quick, someone take my credit cards away before I put myself further into debt. No, wait, that won't work--quick, someone erase my credit card numbers and passwords from my mind. And don't forget to tie my hands behind my back--just in case my fingers remember what to type--and disable the voice commands on my Mac too, just in case.... Well, you get the picture.

I'm hopelessly addicted.

Just a thought

Recently I noticed that something I am very good at is answering technical questions. If I don't know the answer, I will find it or find someone who does. This is only one of the requirements of my day job--though, more often lately, it has become the main component. It seems I have reached the point in my career where I have been relegated to the status of advisor. Others now get to crawl around the labs and get their hands dirty, and, well you know, have all the fun, while I look on (jealously) and tell them what to do. And I wonder, just as my advisors before me, "how did this happen?" When did the mentored become the mentor?

My consolation--in ten to twenty years, this new generation of lab rats will be asking themselves the same questions, and like me, be looking for excuses to get back into the lab and get a little dirt under their finger nails.

So, what is all this leading up to? Well, another thing that I noticed, is that for someone who enjoys photography as much as I do, and whose friends are constantly asking for advice on how to approach a certain type of shot, I rarely mention this hobby on this blog. Oh, I occassionally put up a photo--and yes, I know you're still waiting for the Scotland photos--but,I have never thought to answer one of those questions here. Maybe it's because I'm an instinctive photographer. I see a good shot and I shoot. I don't think about my camera settings or the lighting or the weather or anything else. I simply move into the position I think will work best, rotate the camera dials to the settings I want, then shoot. I'm not always right. I'm more often wrong. But I learn from my mistakes, well, most of the time.

The thing is, I have never thought to write down what it is I do, or what it is that I know should work in certain situations. Part of learning is being able to teach, and part of teaching is learning even more about what you thought you knew. So, in an effort to educate myself, I have decided to answer some of those questions my friends ask me, from time to time, here.

Be prepared for some "more boring that usual" posts.

Yet another movie

Yes, I only saw one this weekend. Unusual for me, I know.

Elizabethtown.

Actually, I'm not certain I can say much about this unusual romance movie without giving away too much of the story. I will say it was enjoyable, and the family reminded me a lot of my own--well, if my family was southern instead of Idaho German. Even the funeral/memorial preparations were familiar--ok, so what happened at the graveside service was a little different at my grandmother's funeral (the priest fell into the grave--well nearly--one of my uncles caught him before he toppled completely in). Funerals are not sad in my family. They are a wonderful, happy time. A celebration. My grandmother's was more so than most.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the movie captures a believable family and a believable romance, though the romance might move along a little faster (for the sake of the movie) than it would have in real life.

And now I have two movies, completely different and unrelated though they may be, that I can point to and say--"if you want to know what my family is like, see these"--Elizabethtown and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

A Really Excellent Photo

which I'm fairly certain is digitally enhanced, but it is absolutely beautiful.

Narcissa by David Strohl.

If you liked that, check out his website.

One to see, and one maybe not

I saw two movies this weekend--not certain why. One I liked, the other I really didn't care for.

If you are a fan of Firefly, or even if you're not, I recommend Serenity. It is a fun, diverting sf movie that left me smiling in the end and never once lost my attention. The thought of snoozing through this one never once crossed my mind. If you haven't seen it yet, do.

The movie I wish I had been able to sleep through this weekend? Flight Plan. This had the potential of being a good movie, but the first half was simply too long, slow and repetitive for me. I actually considered walking out of the theater, and would have if the person I was with hadn't appeared to be enjoying the movie. He later agreed with me--the first half needed editing and should have been shorter. We rarely agree by the way. The last third was much better though.

The one thing that really bothered my friend and I , as engineers, was that Jodi Foster--supposedly and engine designer--knew every square inch of the jets design. This simply would not be the case. But if you let that slide, and you don't mind the first half of the movie stretching on forever, it is still possible to enjoy the tale.

Good Movie

Well, if you like this sort.

I went to see The Greatest Game Ever Played last Saturday evening--the really late showing. I enjoyed it, and since it is rare for me to stay awake in a movie, which I did, I have to classify this as a good movie and one worth seeing. I admit, I am not a major fan of golf, but even I got involved in the game. Unfortunately, my roommate now sees this as an excuse to switch the tv channel to golf any time he feels the urge.

Oh well, that's life. And aside from the news and a couple of shows during the week that I never get to see anyway, tv is not that important.

Sock Fairy??

Can someone tell me where all the socks go?

I swear, I buy new socks every month and within one or two washings I only have one sock per pair. Sometimes the complete pair disappears after only one wearing.

You'd think that if I bought two identical pairs I would have one complete pair left after the other two socks disappeared. Not so. Buy two pairs and three of the four socks disappear.

I swear there must be a sock demon building a nest under the house somewhere--or is it a sock eating demon. All I know is I can't replace those little foot warmers as fast as they disappear. With the number of pairs of socks I've bought over the past 7 years, you'd think that the house would be busting at the seams, with multi-coloured holey toes sticking out every window. But no, there's rarely a sock to be seen.

Personally, I think the puppy has been sneaking them outside and burying them. It's only my socks that disappear though. My very male roommate never seems to lose a pair.

Sock Fairy? Sock Eating Demon? Sock Worshipping and Stealing Aliens from the 4th dimension? Whatever, whomever the culprit, the disappearance and kidnapping, possibly murdering of hundreds of socks is real.

Oh where, where have all the socks gone?